- Yo Tanisha, it
was good seeing you. (record scratching) - [Narrator] Darius
heard the comment and had a simple choice to make. Ignore what the man had
said and take Tanisha home. Or stay at the party
and keep it real. When keeping it real goes wrong. - So I'm Dave, and
I keep it real. Sometimes keeping it real
can go horribly wrong. We gotta pick our spots. It's good to be real sometimes. It's good to be phony sometimes. Yes, I said it, phony! You think I'm this
nice in real life? (beeping) That, son! (audience laughing) Just 'cause I'm on TV. I'm wild! I'll pull my balls
out right now. I don't care,
skeet, skeet, skeet! (audience cheering) If you don't believe
me that keeping it real ain't the best thing,
then take a look at this. - [Narrator] Vernon Franklin
was an exceptional young man. He was the valedictorian
of his high school class, won several
scholarships, and became the first person in his
family to attend college. He got a good job and worked
14 hour days six days a week. Quickly becoming the
youngest vice president in the history of the
Viacorp Corporation. Ending the cycle of
violence and drug addiction that had plagued his
family for generations. The officers of his
company were wrapping up the usual Thursday meeting
in the south conference room when Frank Murphy, the man
who had mentored Vernon, made an awkward comment. - Vernon, great job, buddy. You the man! Give me some skin, huh? - [Narrator] Vernon
got along with all of the people he worked with. Which in his heart of
hearts made him feel like an Uncle Tom. Though he could have
ignored the simple comment his mentor made, Vernon
decided to keep it real. - Get your mother (beeping)
hand outta my face. You heard me mother (beeping)! Get your hands outta my face! What do you think this is, man? Just shake my hand like a man. Give me some five on
the back hand side with all this crazy jive? That's bull (beeping). Wanna little soft shoe? Should I chug some
watermelon for you, boss? All that, nigga. - Hey Vernon, buddy. - Get your mother (beeping)
hands off me, Frank! This ain't a game. - This isn't the Vernon I know. - Allow me to
reintroduce myself. My name is Ho. You ain't heard that
before, have you? Rap leads to changes. I used to beat mother
(beeping) up just like you. Just for walking
around my way, nigga! - Vernon, Vernon, buddy. - You better step the
(beeping) down, Frank. - Excuse me?
- I said, sit down, bitch. Thug life! You think this is a game, nigga? (barking) Wu Tang! - [Narrator] Today Vernon
works at Sonny's Fill 'Er Up on Route 80 in New Jersey. He makes 6.45 an hour
and stinks of gasoline even when he's not
at the station. It's as real as it can be. - A dollar? What am I gonna get
with a dollar, nigga? I got kids. And that's real. - [Narrator] Vernon
Franklin, once a heart warming story
of perseverance. - Wu Tang! - [Narrator] Today
a sparkling example of when keeping it
real goes wrong. - People say to me all the time, Dave you got that show but
remember brother, keep it real. Very good advice. Not always as easy as it seems. Sometimes, folks, keeping
it real works against ya. - [Narrator] Darius
James was out on a date with his girlfriend
Tanisha Bradley. Darius was almost certain
the night would end with sex. But as they were leaving
confrontation reared its ugly head. - Yo, Tanisha it
was good seeing you. (record scratching) - [Narrator] Darius
heard the comment and had a simple choice to make. Ignore what the man had
said and take Tanisha home. Or stay at the party
and keep it real. - What'd you say, man? Good seeing you? Good seeing you? I don't play that (beeping)! That my girl, nigga! I keep it real! - [Narrator] What
Darius didn't know is that Chris was a
10th degree black belt who started trouble just so
he could practice his karate in street fighting scenarios. What ensued was one of the
most spectacular ass whoopings ever witnessed in the
Atlantic northeast. Viewer discretion is advised. - Ah! (smacking) (audience laughing) - [Narrator] Darius
lost four of his teeth, fractured his arm,
spine and pelvis, and then Tanisha got involved. - All his talk about
keeping it real was getting on my last nerves. I savored that ass whooping. (audience laughing) - Kick him in ass. (audience laughing) - [Narrator] The tag
team ass whooping continued for minutes. Ending when karate expert
Chris left with Tanisha. That night they had
sex three times. As a result of his hospital
bills Darius was forced to move back in
with his grandma. - This knucklehead talking
about keeping it real. I'm gonna keep it real. I want his god damn
ass outta my house. Been trying to get
my swerve on too. (beeping) - [Narrator] Darius is
humiliated on a daily basis. - Granny don't! - Well hurry the hell up
and finish yourself off. Unlike you, I'm getting
a little action tonight you punk bitch. (audience laughing) - [Narrator] He is
witness to things that no many should
ever have to see. (audience groaning) - Darius, you big dummy. This ain't no show and tell. Take a walk. - Yeah, and get some rubbers. - And get the big ones. - (beeping) Right. (audience laughing) - [Narrator] From most
assuredly having sex with his girl to getting beat up and moving back with his family. - Granny, don't! - [Narrator] Darius James
showed us what can happen when keeping it real goes wrong. - We all just gotta be careful. When you're keeping it
real, pick your spots. Reality is hidden for a reason. And now we will show you why. (dramatic music) - [Narrator] Brenda Johnson
was at home one night eating popcorn and
watching television with her girlfriend. The telephone rang. (ringing phone) - Hello? (dial tone) - [Narrator] Brenda had
a simple choice to make. Ignore the mild rudeness of
someone hanging up on her or keep it real. - (beeping) that! I don't like people
playing on my phone. - Girl, don't even trip. You bigger than that. - No, I don't like people
playing on my phone. - [Narrator] But in
reality it had nothing to do with people
playing on her phone. Brenda had long suspected
her boyfriend Jamal of cheating on her. This was the straw that
broke the camel's back. (dialing) - Hello? - Did you just call here, bitch? - Excuse me. - I know you just called here. Don't play dumb with me. Stop (beeping) my man. - I don't know what
you're talking about. I dialed the wrong number, okay? - I star sixty-nined
you, you dirty hoe! You and I both know you
sleeping with Jamal. - No, I was trying
to call my aunt. - Oh bitch, please. You a bitch and so is your aunt. (scoffs) Oh no, she did not
hang up on me again. - Again? - [Narrator] Brenda could
have ended the conflict there. - You wanna play, bitch? Let's play. - [Narrator] But she decided
to push her real-o-meter into the red. - 'Cause I keeps
it real like that. - [Narrator] Brenda
went onto her computer and did a reverse look
up of Janice's number. Not only did she
get Janice's address but directions as well. - I'm fittin' to
ride on this bitch. (audience laughing) (breaking glass) Won't be (beeping)
Jamal in this car, hoe. (alarm blaring) Take that, you clap
havin' Jezebel! - It was a wrong number! - (beeping) That! I don't like people
playing on my phone. I keeps it real. - I was like, hello? - [Narrator] What
Brenda didn't know is that Janice was borrowing
the car from her older brother a federal agent. She also didn't
know that defacing a government vehicle
is considered a felony in certain cases. This being one of them. After a short trial
Brenda was sentenced to six years in federal prison. (funky music) - What's really hood, bitch? - [Narrator] Brenda
knew it was important to establish her
realness early in prison. Confronted by another
pivotal decision, she decided then and
there to keep it real. - All right, bitch, let's
settle this right now. (smacking) - [Narrator] The three
women were all serving consecutive life sentences. It turned out they
kept it realer. (audience laughing) And as for her boyfriend Jamal. - You wanna talk
about keeping it real. - [Narrator] He was
cheating on Brenda with her best friend. - I keeps it real. (giggling) Ain't that right, shorty? - That's right. - [Narrator] From eating popcorn in the comfort of her own
home to eating fruit cocktail off of a prison
floor, Brenda Rounds. - (beeping) that! I don't like people
playing on my phone. - [Narrator] Just another
case of what can happen when keeping it real goes wrong.
